Drama, drama, drama!
Oh fandom, how I love thee!
Okay, I sent a ranty email to Fanfiction.net (to all of the emails on their support page) Friday morning. There have been questions raised about the validity of recent emails sent by an admin by the name of James. So, I brought that into question, as well as pointing out that the guidelines for rating was unclear. For the first time in the 5 years I've been a member of fanfiction.net and sending in emails and abuse reports, I received a response. Yes, it was a direct response, my original email was included. It was sent by "James" and it said:
Please refer to the site Guideline, http://www.fanfiction.net/guidelines/ There is a reason we require every author to agree to the terms each time they post on our site. The rating system and what is allowed is clearly stated within.
As for the IP address rumor, I can tell you all the warning letters are legit. It is ironic that when people email this very email for assistance or to report site issues, they never questioned its validity. Yet when the reply are not to their liking, they started to question its legitimacy. Perhaps when the deletions comes around due their failure to comply, they will finally know this email's validity.
--
James
FanFiction.Net Support
Well, I had problems with that. When I received that email, I responded with:
People are being cited for writing long author's notes and told to edit them.
The rating system is unclear and open to a very wide interpretation. I have no problem for eliminating the trash and those stories which are in clear violation. I have a problem with those stories that are in the blurred zone somewhere in the middle.
You say to go read the guidelines. I have written articles on these guidelines! I know them. But the fact of the matter is there is NO clear line between MA & M rated material. It is subject to interpretation. As a site administrator, you need to be clear. It's much easier to follow the rules when people know what they can and cannot do. There is no place in there that spells it out. Not to mention the fact that for the average person finding the guidelines is a feat in and of itself.
I know where to look.
You clearly give a link.
However, most people haven't a clue and when writing a 70 chapter story like some of these people are known to do, they don't always remember. But the only way to pull them up without a direct link is to go into the 'publish a new story' function.
Who would know that?
I've been a member of many fanfiction websites and these are in the most obscure place and they are the most vaguely worded that I've come across. Then again, anytime I've ever had a problem with my understanding of a particular rule on another site, I've always been able to ask and I've received a response with a clearer explanation far beyond a link to a vague set rules that I have already read.
The irony is that I have long stood by and supported FF.net for enforcing their rules, explaining to those new to the fandoms and fanfiction why the rules are in place. Explaining the history of the C&D orders that flew years ago and the concern that came from that. I tell them about how the site notified people when they were changing their ratings to no longer allow the NC-17 rated material.
That is not my issue. My issue is that there is currently a crew of children running around reporting each and every story they have a problem with, not because they want the stories to follow the ToS, but because they want to cause a stir and because they enjoy ticking people off. They advocate flaming and harassment. And, you are not only allowing them to do it, you are enabling & fueling their hatred by giving their reports any credence. I looked at their forum thread. They list a link for a story that they want to go after and the very next day that author is posting an author's note that their story is subject to removal due to ToS violations. This group then high 5's each other (after flaming the author via reviews & PMs) and then goes on to find a new target. It's nothing more than a hate group.
And you're allowing & encouraging it.
I also take issue with the fact that when I finally question the validity of what I'm hearing from others is the only time in all of my years on this site when I have ever had an email answered. It strikes me as odd. Mostly because in the past I have had to send dozens of emails over the course of weeks to get a story pulled for blatant plagiarism.
And finally, I take issue with an admin who clearly can't write in proper English. You're representing a large website with a lot of traffic. Using words like "smut" and "legit" is not a sign of professionalism, which is one of the many things currently in question.
~GinnyW
----
Yeah, I never received a response to that. I wonder why that is.
I'm sure that some of you are wondering what this 'group of kids' I'm referring to is. It is a group who calls themselves the "Literary Union." They have a forum on Fanfiction.net, a blog, and an email list where they discuss who they are going to go after next. For example, on their forum on Wednesday, someone posted a link to a story that they found to be offensive. While I was trolling on Friday morning, I saw the link, I clicked on it, only to see that on Thursday the story author had posted an author's note stating that she had been contacted by Fanfiction.net and cited for ToS violations and that she needed remove the 'smut' or her story would be pulled.
Since when does Fanfiction.net warn? Since when do they refer to it as smut? Since when do they receive abuse reports for inappropriate content and they respond in less than 24 hours?
The problem is, there are at least 4 people who received an actual reply from this James guy when we contacted Fanfiction.net support first. It'd be easy to say that someone was simply spoofing if the authors were all contacted first. But this way makes me wonder if either he's legitimate and stupid or if the site has been hacked.
People are now saying they're going to ignore the emails and continue doing whatever they're doing. One gal reposted her story that she received a warning email on. Is this a good idea? I haven't a clue. Though, really, I keep thinking, "What's the worst they can do? Remove it?"
*shrugs*
Others are discussing contacting the advertisers. Some are trying to find other ways to contact the site administrators/owners.
For more information, check out:
Possible Fanfiction.net Hoax?
Angstgoddess' Investigation
ETA: Update! Angstgoddess003 has done further inquiries. Her information can be found here!
Okay, I sent a ranty email to Fanfiction.net (to all of the emails on their support page) Friday morning. There have been questions raised about the validity of recent emails sent by an admin by the name of James. So, I brought that into question, as well as pointing out that the guidelines for rating was unclear. For the first time in the 5 years I've been a member of fanfiction.net and sending in emails and abuse reports, I received a response. Yes, it was a direct response, my original email was included. It was sent by "James" and it said:
Please refer to the site Guideline, http://www.fanfiction.net/guidelines/ There is a reason we require every author to agree to the terms each time they post on our site. The rating system and what is allowed is clearly stated within.
As for the IP address rumor, I can tell you all the warning letters are legit. It is ironic that when people email this very email for assistance or to report site issues, they never questioned its validity. Yet when the reply are not to their liking, they started to question its legitimacy. Perhaps when the deletions comes around due their failure to comply, they will finally know this email's validity.
--
James
FanFiction.Net Support
Well, I had problems with that. When I received that email, I responded with:
People are being cited for writing long author's notes and told to edit them.
The rating system is unclear and open to a very wide interpretation. I have no problem for eliminating the trash and those stories which are in clear violation. I have a problem with those stories that are in the blurred zone somewhere in the middle.
You say to go read the guidelines. I have written articles on these guidelines! I know them. But the fact of the matter is there is NO clear line between MA & M rated material. It is subject to interpretation. As a site administrator, you need to be clear. It's much easier to follow the rules when people know what they can and cannot do. There is no place in there that spells it out. Not to mention the fact that for the average person finding the guidelines is a feat in and of itself.
I know where to look.
You clearly give a link.
However, most people haven't a clue and when writing a 70 chapter story like some of these people are known to do, they don't always remember. But the only way to pull them up without a direct link is to go into the 'publish a new story' function.
Who would know that?
I've been a member of many fanfiction websites and these are in the most obscure place and they are the most vaguely worded that I've come across. Then again, anytime I've ever had a problem with my understanding of a particular rule on another site, I've always been able to ask and I've received a response with a clearer explanation far beyond a link to a vague set rules that I have already read.
The irony is that I have long stood by and supported FF.net for enforcing their rules, explaining to those new to the fandoms and fanfiction why the rules are in place. Explaining the history of the C&D orders that flew years ago and the concern that came from that. I tell them about how the site notified people when they were changing their ratings to no longer allow the NC-17 rated material.
That is not my issue. My issue is that there is currently a crew of children running around reporting each and every story they have a problem with, not because they want the stories to follow the ToS, but because they want to cause a stir and because they enjoy ticking people off. They advocate flaming and harassment. And, you are not only allowing them to do it, you are enabling & fueling their hatred by giving their reports any credence. I looked at their forum thread. They list a link for a story that they want to go after and the very next day that author is posting an author's note that their story is subject to removal due to ToS violations. This group then high 5's each other (after flaming the author via reviews & PMs) and then goes on to find a new target. It's nothing more than a hate group.
And you're allowing & encouraging it.
I also take issue with the fact that when I finally question the validity of what I'm hearing from others is the only time in all of my years on this site when I have ever had an email answered. It strikes me as odd. Mostly because in the past I have had to send dozens of emails over the course of weeks to get a story pulled for blatant plagiarism.
And finally, I take issue with an admin who clearly can't write in proper English. You're representing a large website with a lot of traffic. Using words like "smut" and "legit" is not a sign of professionalism, which is one of the many things currently in question.
~GinnyW
----
Yeah, I never received a response to that. I wonder why that is.
I'm sure that some of you are wondering what this 'group of kids' I'm referring to is. It is a group who calls themselves the "Literary Union." They have a forum on Fanfiction.net, a blog, and an email list where they discuss who they are going to go after next. For example, on their forum on Wednesday, someone posted a link to a story that they found to be offensive. While I was trolling on Friday morning, I saw the link, I clicked on it, only to see that on Thursday the story author had posted an author's note stating that she had been contacted by Fanfiction.net and cited for ToS violations and that she needed remove the 'smut' or her story would be pulled.
Since when does Fanfiction.net warn? Since when do they refer to it as smut? Since when do they receive abuse reports for inappropriate content and they respond in less than 24 hours?
The problem is, there are at least 4 people who received an actual reply from this James guy when we contacted Fanfiction.net support first. It'd be easy to say that someone was simply spoofing if the authors were all contacted first. But this way makes me wonder if either he's legitimate and stupid or if the site has been hacked.
People are now saying they're going to ignore the emails and continue doing whatever they're doing. One gal reposted her story that she received a warning email on. Is this a good idea? I haven't a clue. Though, really, I keep thinking, "What's the worst they can do? Remove it?"
*shrugs*
Others are discussing contacting the advertisers. Some are trying to find other ways to contact the site administrators/owners.
For more information, check out:
Possible Fanfiction.net Hoax?
Angstgoddess' Investigation
ETA: Update! Angstgoddess003 has done further inquiries. Her information can be found here!